Darkest Shadow
by Juls2820
Summary: There are shadows over our lives, some are there through no one's fault, but some are there to harm. To strip us bare of hope, love, and finally life. Clary has seen that first hand, she won't let it happen to anyone else. She will do what she was born to do, kill her father, and save the downworld; no matter the cost. She was after all what he made her to be. AU *Explicit Content
1. Prologue

**AN: This is going to be a darker type of story, lots of violence. There will be some romance and lighter fare too, but it's going to start off very dark. It is a shadowhunter story, but is very much an AU story. If you are down for all of that, enjoy the story! :-)**

 **BTW this is a second story posting for me, I've got one under 'In Progress' status already so I make no promises on updating times. If you want to share your thoughts on anything else please feel free. Haters will be ignored, I don't have the time or energy to waste on hate mail, so if you are one of those don't waste your time with me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments or anything associated with them. I just love Cassie's characters.**

 **In all seriousness, I'm writing because I used to love it and I'm hoping that I can get back to that. I hope anyone who reads my crazy rambles enjoys them.**

 **Prologue:**

Clary would never be the same again; she just watched a monster that should not even exist kill her mother. It was the most horrible sight she had ever seen, and it would haunt her for the rest of her days.

Her mother Jocelyn was a painter and one of the gentlest people Clary had ever known. They lived a simple life, with only a few close friends that they visited or that visited them regularly, they were not wealthy, and they didn't live a life of crime so Clary could not reconcile how they became targets for such violence.

What was worse was that Clary and her mom had fought earlier that day, and though they had talked after, and even told each that they loved one another the fight had not been resolved truly. They both knew that, and they both knew that they would have to talk or fight it out later.

Her mom had wanted to go out of town, she decided that with no warning and at the worst possible time for Clary, or so she had thought at the time. Now, she wished she'd forgotten about her stupid summer art class program and had just packed her shit and left with her mother.

It was her fault they were still in the apartment. Her mom had called the homeopathic healer, Magnus Bane, who treated her for insomnia and headaches over and because of their fight he could only reschedule the appointment for five in the evening. So they waited for him to arrive, only he never made it there because at four in the afternoon Clary's whole world was shattered just days before the fourteen year old was due to turn fifteen.

Clary had felt so helpless when their home was invaded by real life monsters, and shockingly her mom didn't flinch or recoil from the hideous monsters. Moreover she seemed to know exactly what to do to rid their home of the beasts. She charged over to the window seat that supposedly didn't open and pulled out a pen that glowed on one end, she swiftly twirled the pen on the seat and suddenly the lid was unsealed. Her mother reached into the seat and pulled out to rods that look like hand carved handles for something metal, when all of the sudden both handles extended with glowing white blades that nearly blinded Clary with the sudden brightness.

Clary had stood their stunned like a fool, while her mother had suddenly become an assassin with significant martial arts training. She twirled, and leapt, and flipped around the room slicing and stabbing the black oily beasts' one after the other. She killed five in quick succession and Clary began to feel hopeful that they would make it out of this alive. When all of the sudden one of the monster slid around the wall of the hallway on the ceiling. Clary barely had time to scream before it leapt through the air towards her mother.

At first Clary thought her mother had managed to dodge the assault with a twist of her body and leaping back over the couch, because she saw the last monster disappear like all the others after her mother stabbed them with the glowing swords. Then she noticed her mother's hair spread out on the floor around the edge of the couch. Panic clawed its way up her throat and she felt temporarily paralyzed in her fear.

Then she heard a wheezing breath followed by a wet sounding cough and she knew that whatever she was about to see around the edge of that couch was going to be terrible. The kind of terrible that would never fade in her memory, but still she managed to will her legs forward and she crept around the broken furniture and haphazard piles of books, paints, canvases, and sketchbooks.

There lying on the floor was her mother, and Clary could already see a large red stain tinted with oily black residue pouring from her mother's chest. The slight amount of bravery she had mustered to walk the few feet to her mother evaporated and Clary crumpled to the floor, grabbing her mother and pulling her head to rest in her lap. Sobbing she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and started to dial 911 in a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable.

Just as she was about to press the blurry call button the door that was hanging halfway off the hinges and cracked down the length slammed into the wall and startled her enough that she dropped her phone while she dove forward in the hopes that she could shield her mother's body from whomever was now coming to murder them.

She knew it was pitiful and would only save her mother for a few more seconds while the assassins dispatched her and that thought made her shudder violently. She realized that the murderer had already had ample time to slaughter her and move on to her mother so she hesitantly raised her head peaking through her long red hair and there she saw the only other person who could possibly help them. Luke, her mother's childhood best friend that had always been a major part of Clary's life. He was essentially her father, and right now she really needed a father. So she opened her mouth to beg for his help, all that came out of her mouth was a wail.

The wail seemed to unlock Luke from his frozen state just a few feet away and he lurched forward and then fell to his knees on the other side of Jocelyn's head. He reached a hand out to touch her neck, feeling for a pulse, when Jocelyn's eyes fluttered open. Her face was nearly colorless, her eyes clouded over and unfocused, but she was still alive. Clary wept harder and leaned forward to look into her mother's eyes.

Jocelyn seemed to be trying to talk, but she couldn't seem to say anything above a faint whisper. Luke and Clary leaned in and her mother spoke her final words, "Ravenors….Valentine…..sent…..them…..take….Clary…hide…..her." She coughed and blood and more of the black oil oozed out of the corner of her mouth, but she was determined enough to push a few final words with her dying breath, "love..you…both …so…much." Then she went still, and Clary knew nothing would ever be the same again. Her heart shattered and anyone in the world would have been able to tell from the broken wailing sobs that tore through her and echoed in their destroyed home.

 **AN: Yeah, told you it was a little darker. I killed Mom, no one is safe dun dun dun.**


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Thanks to my experience with the other story, I think I've finally settled into a fairly consistent pattern with the chapter lengths. So, the chapters should always be about 1.7K to 2K words. This chapter had a very rough edit, so there may be some mistakes. If anyone spots a mistake let me know and I'll try to fix it.**

 **I'm posting this way earlier than I would have normally, because I hate finding a story to read and only getting a prologue to feel it out and see if I want to keep reading.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with the Mortal Instruments, I just love the stories and can't seem to let the characters go!**

 **Remember this is a shadowhunter story and a little darker.**

 **Chapter 1:**

That night Luke and Clary sat with her mother's body for what felt like an eternity, then Luke gently laid a hand on Clary's shoulder and spoke softly so as not to break the solemn mood that had taken over. "Clary, I know you have a lot of questions about what happened and the things you saw, and I promise you I will answer every question you have and then some. But, right now we have to leave. We don't have much time before someone else will show up. It could be the police or more demons, either way we can't be here when they show up." Clary jerked slightly under his grasp when Luke said the word demons.

When he finished his last sentence Clary realized he meant to leave her mother there and flee. She couldn't do that, not to her mother, not when her mother had died protecting her from monsters. "Luke, I can't leave her like this, we have to make sure that she's taken care of. She has to be…" She couldn't say the word, buried, it just seemed to final; even though she saw her mother take her last breath and go completely still. Her brain still could not process that information yet, and she certainly couldn't say the word.

Luke looked almost as broken as Clary and he held so much sympathy and compassion in his blue eyes as he looked from Clary, his chosen daughter, to Jocelyn the love of his life. He knew that he had to get Clary to safety and he knew he didn't have much time, but he also knew that Clary was right. They couldn't just leave Jocelyn there to be taken by mundanes. They wouldn't know the first thing about how to properly bury a shadowhunter, and look couldn't stand the thought that she would be laid to rest in an unmarked grave in a state funeral, a paupers field. So, he simply nodded his head and helped Clary stand.

He pulled the young girl into a hug and held her there for a moment. When he pulled away enough to look in her eyes, he saw the broken heart and the anguished spirit and knew that he would have a long and difficult task ahead of him. Trying to heal her and bring back that beautiful loving soul he had always known his daughter to be. He carefully pulled her away and softly told her what they had to do stressing the urgency as much as he could in that soft voice, "Clary you're absolutely right. I'm sorry for not realizing that on my own. You go, now, and grab only the things that you cannot replace or that you will need for tonight or tomorrow. And I do mean, need. We can only stay here for a few more minutes so hurry. Go, I'll take your mother down and then we will leave, all of us."

Clary gave a shaky nod and staggered off to her room. Through her teary haze she heard look pulling the white sheets off her mother's bed and walk back into the living room to collect her mother's body. That thought made her shake with new sobs that she tried desperately to suppress. She grabbed the few small photo albums she had in her room and stuffed them into her old canvas duffle Luke had given her on one of their many camping trips. Then she pulled down all of the pictures her mother had drawn or painted she knew would fit in the bag. She moved on to her own journal sketch book and then finally she grabbed a few random pieces of clothing. She made sure to grab all of the smaller gifts her mother had given her over the years and swept them into the duffle too. When she felt like she had gotten all of the things she couldn't replace she crossed the hall into what was her mother's room.

There she froze in the door, she didn't know how to walk into that room and then turn around and leave. Everything in this room looked and smelled of her mother, and all she wanted to do was crawl into that bed surrounded by her mother's things and never leave, but she knew she couldn't. So, she galvanized her nerves and stiffened her spine and stepped over that threshold. She went to the vanity first and grabbed all of her mother's antique jewelry that had been handed down in their family for generations. Then she grabbed her mother's favorite pajamas, and all of the sketches and paintings she could find and fit in her duffle. When the bag was overflowing, she turned for the door, then she remember the box.

It looked like it was handmade and pretty old, to Clary, and she knew that it was significant, she just didn't know why. So, she laid on the floor on her stomach and edged under her mother's bed. She could just barely touch the box, so she pushed herself further under the bed until she could wrap her hand around the top of the box and drag it out from its hiding place. As she sat back up with the box cradled against her chest Luke appeared in the doorway. He stepped forward and leaned down to grab the duffle and then helped Clary to her feet. "Are you ready to leave Clary? I know how hard this is for you, feeling like you've lost everything, but you haven't lost me. And I promise you, you never will. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure that you always have a parent. I love you sweetheart, and you will be safe, I promise."

Clary looked into Luke's determined and loving eyes and just threw herself into his arms. She had cried so much that her eyes were nearly swollen shut and she couldn't talk properly for the hiccups that were constantly shaking her tiny frame, but she knew she didn't really need to say much. "I love you, dad." It was the first time she'd called him that, but she'd always felt it in her heart.

Luke gasped and held her tighter to him, and he knew that he had to keep his promise. His daughter would be safe, no matter what he had to do. He also knew that, to keep his promise he was going to have to tarnish some of her memories about her mother. He absolutely hated that he was going to have to take one final thing from her, but there was no longer a choice to keep her in the dark about her true nature and where she came from. Truthfully he had never wanted to, but Jocelyn wouldn't move on the subject, she'd even gone so far as to threaten him if he ever told Clary anything, he wouldn't be allowed to see her again. Now he had to shatter her reality and rewrite it so that she would know the dangerous truth of their world.

 **AN: Not really pertinent, but damn I wish they would get a regular spell check on this site! Ugh, anybody whose ever posted a story knows what I mean. Then again I imagine some readers think the same thing when they see some of my typos. LOL :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: I've really gotten into this story; I've already written through chapter 8 I think. I've got to edit all of it still, so the chapters won't be posted right away but I've gotten ahead with the writing at least.**

 **There is something about this story that I should warn readers about, there is going to be a bit of restating facts from the original TMI novels.**

 **No, it's not going to be straight from the books, but the history is largely the same and I should warn you that it might feel slightly repetitive through some of it. That's unavoidable unfortunately, in order to take this story where I want to go, I have to set up the plot with a lot of the same history as the books.**

 **If that is annoying for you, I apologize, but I hope you enjoy where we end up in the next few chapters following the initial 'stage setting'. Leave reviews to let me know what you're thinking/feeling about the story.**

 **Anywho, now unto the normal stuff I've got to do.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any portion of Mortal Instruments, I just love Cassie's characters and can't let them go.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2:**

Clary felt numb, they were riding in Luke's truck through the streets of Brooklyn and she had lived here all her life, but everything looked foreign now. She felt cold, so cold that her body was shaking and she couldn't force it to stop. Luke glanced over at her every few seconds with a worried frown. He had turned the heat up as high as would go, but he knew that it wouldn't really help. Clary was in shock, and a heater was not going to able to combat the torrent of emotions and trauma that had enveloped her.

Knowing that he couldn't take her to a mundane hospital, they would ask too many questions, and there was quite a bit of blood on both of them, he headed for the only place where he could get Clary the help she needed, Magnus Bane's loft. He pulled up outside the familiar building and gently grasped Clary's shoulder to get her attention. "Clary we have to go see Magnus, but I need to tell you a few things before we go inside. I would much rather not put any more burdens on you tonight, but this cannot be avoided." He waited for Clary to nod, before he continued.

"I know you saw some things tonight that hard to believe, and you don't know what to think right now. Just know that everything you saw was real, and I will explain it all, but I need you not to ask question for tonight." When he saw her start to disagree with him, he rushed on with his explanation. "I promised you Clary and I meant it, I will tell you everything, even some things you may not want to know, but it can't be tonight. There is simply too much to say and you are already overwhelmed. Please just trust me, I've never wanted to keep anything from you and I promise I won't from tomorrow on, okay?"

Clary hesitated for a moment, although she knew he was right about her current condition, she didn't like the idea that there was apparently a wealth of things that had been hidden from her and that her parents had obviously been keeping that from her by lying. Ultimately though, she knew she couldn't handle much more before she would probably go insane and never be able to function again. She also knew that Luke was the most trustworthy person she knew and that if she could still trust anything or anyone it would be him, so she nodded her assent and waited for the information she would need to make it through the rest of this nightmare of a night.

Luke weighed his words carefully while he waited for her to indicate that she was ready for another burden in this already tragic and horrible night. When she nodded her head slightly he breathed a breath of relief and then began the shortest possible explanation for why they were here and how it would help them both. "Clary, Magnus is not a homeopathic healer, he never was. He is actually a warlock." He anticipated her outburst before it happened and rushed on with his explanation. "Yes, I know that you don't believe that right this moment, but you will as soon as we go inside. He is going to use his magic to help you, we won't be able to warm you up any other way and we need to go somewhere that is safe. Magnus' home is protected from those things you saw tonight at your apartment, meaning they cannot get inside. I know this all sounds ridiculous, but all you have to do is walk inside and you will know the truth."

Clary's eyes were probably the size of saucers right now, but she couldn't help it. Her dad was telling her that her healthcare provider, basically a male nurse, was actually a magical warlock. This had to be an attempt to lighten her mood, it just wasn't possible that Luke actually believed this about the strange healer. Clary would concede the man was a little odd, but he was perfectly nice, and Clary liked him. He seemed to know her mother from before Clary was born and he would visit with them after he treated Clary, so she'd seen him quite a lot over the years and had never once seen anything magical about the guy. Luke was still staring at her with a serious and intent expression all over his face and in his eyes. That look caused Clary to pause her hypothesizing, and to focus her attention back on Luke.

"Okay, if he's a warlock why didn't he just get rid of my headaches and give me a…potion… to sleep."

Luke almost laughed and the hesitation in her voice when she said potion, but she wasn't far wrong, Magnus did indeed have the ability to get rid of her headaches and possibly even the insomnia. However he had sworn on the angel to Jocelyn that he would not tell her what she was or he would have started with the fact that her headaches are due to the fact that Jocelyn was paying a warlock to blind her of her sight, her shadowhunter sight.

So instead of answering the challenge he decided to issue one of his own. "Listen Clary, all you have to do is walk in the building twenty feet from where you are sitting now. If you're right it will only take a few minutes to prove me wrong. So what do you have to lose?"

"Well I guess when you put that way I might as well go say hello to Magnus, and let him know it isn't safe to go by my home anymore." Clary managed to sound nearly normal while she talked about her former home, and she also managed to say it without breaking into tears. Maybe she just needed to take a hot shower and crawl into a bed for the next few days, and she would finally be able to feel warm again. She glanced at the front door again, and thought 'what the hell, at least he has a shower and bed in there and she might be able to get him to let her inside.

Luke felt a small smile form on his lips, it felt so foreign right now to be smiling at all when his soul mate was dead, but he had to put that devastating grief on hold and take care of the daughter they had basically raised together. Her stubbornness finally made something easier for him; her staunch refusal to believe and desire to prove him wrong at least got her moving towards the safety of the high warlock of Brooklyn's apartment. One thing solved at least temporarily, ten million things to go.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Chapter 3 and 4 have been edited, but I may have still missed some things. It's been a rough week.**

 **In any case, I hope you enjoy and please point out any errors you notice.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with the Mortal Instruments, I just love Cassie's characters too much to let go of them.**

 **Chapter 3:**

Luke lumbered up the walkway to the entry door of the apartment building and impatiently bounced on the balls of his feet waiting for Magnus to hurry up and open the damn door. He didn't like standing here exposed to the world, both worlds actually, the mundanes would call the police over the blood covering both Luke and Clary's clothes and the shadow world; well you never knew what that would throw at you. Knowing that his old parabatai was alive for sure had forcefully pushed him into full blown paranoia over Clary's safety. She barely survived the first attack from Valentine, and it had cost them both dearly. He knew Clary had already buzzed Magnus' apartment and was beginning to wonder if the warlock was going to refuse them any assistance.

Magnus finally appeared at the door with an exasperated face which quickly morphed into horror upon seeing the condition that Clary was in. He threw the door open wide and pulled Clary by the arm inside while look followed behind to the apartment on the top floor. As soon as they were safely inside the apartment Magnus rounded on Luke, "Lucian, what in the hell has happened tonight? I was supposed to stop by Jocelyn's place in a few minutes to treat Clary, and here the two of you turn up covered in blood; and is that ichor on Clary's arm?!"

Luke sighed before launching into the shortest version of the night's events. "Valentine is alive, and he sent demons to kill Jocelyn and by extension Clary, even though he didn't know she existed before tonight."

Magnus immediately interrupted, "Where is Jocelyn?"

Luke winced and directed a pointed look at Clary, Magnus followed his gazed and took in the detached look on Clary's face and the quiet shaking of her entire body and realized that was probably the worst question he could have asked. The horror of the realization showed on his face. "Oh God, why didn't you call me when it happened?!" He then threw a worried look in Clary's direction, "How much does she know now?"

Luke hesitated before filling Magnus in on the evenings developments. "Well I had to tell her about you, she's in shock right now and needs to be treated. The rest well, I am planning to start telling her everything tomorrow once we are somewhere safer for her."

Magnus nodded along as Luke caught him up on the conversation in the truck, and then filled him on what had gone on at the apartment, as much as he could without actually saying that Jocelyn had been killed. He didn't know what that what do to Clary, she seemed so fragile right now that he was worried the slightest thing might truly break the young girl. Every time he looked at her he could feel his heart breaking all over again. Not just because she was nearly an identical copy of Jocelyn, but because he could see the devastation written all over every part of the tiny girl whom he loved more than anything, and who he also failed miserably to protect.

Magnus could feel the guilt thick and heavy around both of his guests, and it was choking him. He felt suffocated by the sadness that was rolling off Clary in waves. Once he had gotten the basics from Luke he led Clary over to a sofa in the living room and gently pushed her to sit down. He looked into her eyes to be sure she would understand what he was about to say. "Biscuit, I'm going to help you get warm, then we're going to get you into a nice hot shower, and a bed right after that. Okay?"

Clary knew they were talking about her like she wasn't in the room, and then they were talking to her like she was a toddler again, it irritated her slightly but she couldn't seem to work up enough energy to yell at them like she normally would have. So when she realized Magnus had asked her something she just nodded her head slightly. Not the best response she knew, but it was all she could manage. Magnus seemed to know that so she allowed herself to sink back into the void of her despair and wallow there, mentally at least.

Magnus pulled Luke by the arm over to the dining area where he proceeded to whisper, "Where is Jocelyn's body Luke? We'll need to get her to the Silent Brothers, and clean up the apartment before some mundane stumbles into the middle of all of this."

Luke felt his breath freeze in his lungs when Magnus mentioned Jocelyn's body. He knew that no matter how much time passed he would never be able to think about what happened to her without feeling like someone was ripping his heart and soul from his body. Still he needed to push forward so he could protect the only thing left that mattered, his daughter.

With that thought bolstering his resolve he answered Magnus' questions so they could get rid of any evidence that might lead to the discovery of Clary. "Her body is in my truck, Clary wouldn't leave her and quite frankly I don't think I'd have been able to either. We are not handing her over to the Brothers, Clary would never understand that and I can't take anything else from her. At this point there isn't much left she has to give. As for the apartment, it's a mess. There are obvious signs that someone was killed there and that the place was invaded by someone or something. I came to you as soon as I could because we need to get rid of any evidence that anyone lived there and I needed to be certain Clary had a safe place to rest, at least for a night."

Magnus' worried gaze was drawn to Clary's face with that last statement. He knew he couldn't ask them to leave, not Clary. She was the only child he'd ever watched grow up, more than that she'd become like family to him over the years of visits. He could clearly remember the toddler that had leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek after he'd been forced to pick her up, if only to protect his very expense rugs. The shock he felt quickly melted to something soft and unfamiliar as the child proceeded to hug his neck. No, he couldn't send Clary away. "Okay Luke let's start with getting her settled in the guest room and then I guess we'll make up the rest as we go along." He shrugged with the latter part of the statement to convey just how haphazard the situation was, not that Luke didn't already know.

Together they rejoined Clary and Luke clasped her hand and put one of his arms around the girls narrow shoulders while Magnus took up a position in front of her sitting on the coffee table. "Biscuit, I'm going to use my magic to help you feel a little warmer, and give you just a bit of energy so you can shower, then we'll get you into bed. Okay?"

Clary wanted to answer, but it seemed like her lips were frozen into a flat straight line, her tongue felt dry and heavy in her mouth and the struggle to move either was too exhausting to contemplate, so she settled for making direct eye contact. After a moment of locking eyes with Magnus she lowered her eyes again to avoid all of the emotions she could clearly see floating through his eyes and across his face. She couldn't deal with any more emotions tonight, maybe never again.

Magnus could see the weight of everything that had happened this evening on the young girl, she was being crushed with it, and though it would be too easy to erase the memories of her mother's death that would only be a temporary fix. No, she would have to eventually find her own way out from under that weight. He just hoped she would allow them to help her shoulder until then. He gently took her hand from Luke and clasped both of her hands while he let the magic flow from him through her. He felt her shiver as the magic began to work on her warming her, and healing the bruises and cuts she sustained during the catastrophic demon attack. She sighed as the warmth returned and then felt guilty for the relief while her mother lay dead just a short distance from where she sat comfortable and safe.

When he was finished healing Clary's physical injuries Magnus tried to remind her that none of this was her fault. "Clary, you know that there was nothing you could have done to change things. You had no idea demons existed, so how could you have known how to help." While she did look up and into his eyes he could tell that the comforting remark had missed it's mark. She simply retracted her hands and seemed to try and curl into herself. With another sigh he decided it was the best they could hope for at the moment. So he directed her to the bathroom and told Luke that he would go take care of the apartment quietly.

He didn't know how, but Magnus knew that their world was about to change dramatically, and soon. There was simply no way that the attack and murder of Jocelyn would be Valentine's final act. All he could hope for was that they would be able meet the threat and survive, after all he'd seen so many centuries of shadowhunters come and go, but he'd never seen one as threatening as Valentine Morgenstern.


	5. Chapter 4

**Please see the full AN in the next chapter. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with The Mortal Instruments, I simply can't let go of Cassie's wonderful characters. :)**

Chapter 4:

Magnus couldn't believe the level of destruction evident in the apartment, he'd known that there had been a battle and that there were demons involved, but he wasn't expecting this much violence. He'd always harbored the belief that Valentine still loved Jocelyn, so seeing the evidence of an overwhelming assault made him second guess himself. It was obvious that no one was meant to survive this attack, there simply must have been too many demons. Magnus had known of Jocelyn her whole life through friends, Ragnor Fell and Tessa Gray, so he'd known her to be an exceptional shadowhunter when she was active. She'd been an even more fierce mother; there was no way she'd have gone down easily when Clary was in danger.

It was so sad that love had brought her this end, the love of a dubious man that morphed into evil incarnate, and the love of a daughter that she hid the truth from so completely, she ended up leaving her defenseless. He shook his head in an effort to leave the ghosts in the past and deal with the present, he needed to get back and help Luke break the news to Clary. There were after all, certain parts that Luke was even unaware of due to the deal he made with Jocelyn all those years ago.

As he walked from room to room, he used his magic to erase all traces that either Jocelyn or Clary had ever existed at all. It was a depressing process and draining for both his magic and his mental state. To strip away the identities of both, sacrifice their foot print on this earth was a necessary step in protecting Clary in the future; but the melancholy of it all was not lost on him. Mortals lives were so fleeting anyway, especially shadowhunters lives, who so frequently died young; and here he was erasing anything that could attest that they had lived at all. He had to keep reminding himself that it was the right thing to do for everyone's safety.

Finally finished with the dreary task, Magnus decided to take a cab home rather than portaling; he'd used so much magic and didn't know what lie in store for him at home. As he descended the stairs he noticed that the hedge with Madame Dorthea had opened her door to peek out. When he narrowed his eyes in her direction he could see the fear and apprehension plainly on her face, so he decided it would be best to have a chat with the elderly woman about her neighbors. When he descended the final step she opened her door more widely and stepped back, inviting him inside silently. Magnus stepped forward and introduced himself even thought they had seen each other many times over the years.

"Good evening Madame, I am Magnus Bane the High Warlock of Brooklyn. And you are?"

She hesitated a moment before extending her hand, "Madame Dorthea, pleasure to make your acquaintance. Were you visiting with the lady upstairs?"

Magnus couldn't help the bitter smile that spread on his face, "I think you know very well, that there is no one upstairs left to visit. I think you also know when and possibly whom is responsible for why there is no longer anyone alive upstairs."

She recoiled slightly from the accusation, but there was a shameful light in her eyes telling Magnus that he had hit the mark. So he decided to push his advance, "What can you tell me about your neighbors, specifically anything that pertains to the demon attack tonight?"

Shuddering and breathing heavily she met his eyes and uttered the one word that would explain exactly how much she knew about her neighbors and the attack, "Valentine found them."

Closing the door behind him, Magnus followed the older woman as she turned to retreat into her salon for client readings. She hesitantly indicated he should take a seat and disappeared deeper into her home, before returning briefly with two cup of tea. Settling into the chair opposite Magnus she slid a cup of tea over to him and began explaining exactly how involved she was with her neighbors. "Well I suppose there's no point in holding back now. I might as well tell you everything." She exhaled heavily and took a moment to gather her thoughts before launching into the details of her brief experiences with the mother and daughter who'd lived above her for years.

"It began years ago, Jocelyn showed up with a young toddler and inquired about the apartment upstairs. At first glance I dismissed her, as you know this is a shelter intended for downworlders primarily. Jocelyn wouldn't take no for answer though, and she showed me her marks to convince me that we should at least discuss the possibility. When we sat down to talk terms she informed of who she really was, albeit reluctantly. That was enough for me to tell her that nothing could convince me to take her own as a tenant. Once again though, she refused to leave it at that. She convinced me that she had made her way here completely undetected and that Valentine was dead, she only needed to shield herself from his zealot followers and the clave. As you well know, this place was designed for shielding people from the vicious 'justice' of the clave."

Magnus nodded along at the appropriate points, but he really wanted her to hurry up and get to the parts he didn't know or couldn't discern on his own. You don't become the High Warlock without having a keen mind and powerful magic, both of which allow you to know things hidden from most. He just hoped that his inclination to humor this woman would pay off in the end.

She continued to prattle on about the injustice of the clave and how that was ultimately what made her offer the apartment to a former shadowhunter then finally she came to the details Magnus had been impatiently waiting for, he did have somewhere to be after all.

"For years everything was quiet, and I didn't have cause to regret our arraignment, then suddenly one day a few years back Jocelyn showed up at my door with a gift. Well you know I'm smart enough to be wary of those baring gifts so I got her to tell me what was really afoot. Apparently she'd heard news that led her to believe that Valentine had faked his death and was searching for her and the mortal instruments actively. The gift she bore was more of a loan, something she wanted me to have until such time she might have to leave in a hurry."

Now, this was more like it. He perched on the edge of his chair waiting for the lady to produce the 'loan' so that he could determine why Jocelyn would want to keep it separate for herself, but close enough to access in a hurry. It could be a clue why Valentine sent a mob of demons to kill her, something she had taken from him that was truly invaluable.

"It wasn't much, but they were pretty so I didn't mind holding on to them."

Them? What on earth could Jocelyn have taken from Valentine? His curiosity was running rampant now.

"Here they are, quite lovely don't you think? It's a shame someone with that kind of talent was raised only to kill and maim. Shadowhunter, tsk."

She handed Magnus a stack of tarot cards that appeared to be hand painted, and he definitely recognized the style. He'd bought quite a few of Jocelyn's paintings over the years, whenever she seemed to be struggling. They were quite pretty, so it wasn't completely without benefit for him. He flipped through the stack gingerly hoping to see some hidden message, something to indicate why a stack of cards needed such protection, but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about them.

Hesitantly, he offered to pay the hedge witch for the cards, he couldn't tell her that Clary survived or he might have been able to claim the loan transferred to her and was now being claimed. "How much to take those off your hands? Bear in mind that Valentine slaughtered your neighbors, and if those were created by Jocelyn he'll likely want to collect them." He didn't like having to imply a threat, the lady had been quite polite up to this point, but he refused to be extorted for the cards.

"How about you take them for free, but I'd like to know, did the girl suffer? I won't be able to forgive myself if the little girl was made to suffer."

"Lady, as you know Jocelyn would die long before she let anything happen to her daughter. So I imagine that by the time she was overwhelmed, her untrained and unaware daughter posed no threat and was dealt with quickly." He couldn't suppress the shudder that raced through his body at the implied death of Clary. However, it was absolutely necessary that everyone who knew her believe she died with Jocelyn. Magnus couldn't be positive, but he felt confident that at least one demon fled if only to tell Valentine that there were two women in the apartment and that they shared more than a passing similarity. Valentine would be intent on discovering the true identity of the girl and then he would know the truth. He had a daughter, and she wouldn't be any normal shadowhunter because of his last months spent with his wife.

Satisfied with the gloomy response, the older woman passed the cards and binding ribbon across the table and into Magnus' hands. He nodded his thanks, and asked if there was any more the woman could share. She frowned and said that was all she knew of the quiet neighbors upstairs, other than the fact that she would miss them. So Magnus took his leave with the cards safely tucked in this inner jacket pocket, and headed outside into the cold evening.

He hailed a cab faster than he expected and headed home, home to a broken girl, he'd need his rest for the discussions to come in the morning. He had a feeling that he might not be able to rest for days once the truth was revealed. Hell, it might take days to actually tell all of the truth and get the facts straight. Jocelyn had left a real mess behind, but she'd also left a daughter with enough love in her heart that she had made an old warlock with a battered soul feel like he had found family once again. He supposed that was enough to be balance the scales in the end.


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: As promised two chapters for an apology bonus. I am sorry that it took so long to post another chapter and that I failed to make sure I could access my document as needed. Now I have a copy of the document saved digitally, so hopefully there will be no further issues due to access.**

 **I want to thank my** ** _ONLY_** **reviewer to date for her review, aubreylovesthegames. I really appreciated your review, and frankly that review is one of the only reasons I am posting tonight.**

 **There has been no response on this story, in reviews, and that is really disappointing. Writing takes a lot of effort, and while I do it because I enjoy it, posting the story here is meant to be an interactive experience. In order for it to be that type of experience, readers have to tell me what they think about the story, the writing, or my version of the characters. With that in mind, until I receive some sort of response/feedback I'll be waiting to post any future chapters.**

 **I hate it when writers do that, and it's a bit like extortion, but I have been patiently waiting for someone to post anything so I know that posting hasn't been a wasted effort. It could simply be a smiley face, or even a frowning face and that would be enough, but I need to see something/anything.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with The Mortal Instruments, I simply can't let go of Cassie's wonderful characters. :)**

Chapter 5:

The next morning Clary was almost surprised when the sunlight came flooding in through her window. It's not that she really expected the world to stop because she had lost her mom, more that she was surprised that she had somehow survived and that she had even slept for a while without nightmares. Then she remembered Magnus coming into her temporary room and giving her something to drink that tasted like tea with a sweet aftertaste. When she'd looked at him quizzically he lifted a shoulder in a shrug and said that it would 'help' her sleep. Now that she believed he was a _warlock_ she felt certain it must have been a potion.

For a few precious seconds after she woke everything had felt normal, then the prior evening came crashing back through her memories and she wished there was a potion that could make her sleep until the agonizing ache in her heart healed. Although, truthfully, she didn't believe that would ever be possible. She knew that she had changed, and that nothing could change her back to the carefree, self absorbed, teenager whose only problem was missing an art class.

She felt so much older now; she honestly expected to see a middle aged woman in the mirror as she dragged herself through preparing for what was sure to be the longest day of her life. Surprisingly it was still the face of a fourteen year old staring back at her. She couldn't really stand to see her face anymore, it was too similar to her mothers, the mother she would never be able to touch, smell, hold, or hear again.

As she tried to force the lump in her throat and the painful tears back down she focused on breathing and counting those breaths slowly. She knew the only way she could help her mother now was to find whoever had done this to them, and make sure that they faced justice. She just didn't have the first clue how to start. Making a promise to herself that she would find a way to get her mother justice, and that she would never, ever again be that helpless little girl hiding behind someone else she straightened her spine and turned to leave the bedroom.

Having a plan, a purpose, gave her strength; it allowed her to march out to the kitchen grab a cup of coffee. She sat at the table to wait for what was supposed to be this 'Earth shattering' truth about what really happened last night, and where she came from. Luke was the first to stir, he had slept on the couch in the living room, although looking at him now she had the feeling he only slept at all because Magnus used magic on him. Luke looked disoriented and lost, like he couldn't figure out where he was or why he'd even be asleep. Clary decided to help him out, and directed him to the coffee.

Bleary eyed, he staggered into the kitchen and came back a few minutes later to slump in the chair across from her cradling a steaming cup. Magnus was the last to arrive; he took one look at their kitchen table conference, and knew it was indeed going to be a long time before he saw his bed again. It was almost enough to turn him around, but he knew that Clary had waited long enough for this information and he couldn't come up with a reason she should have to wait any longer. So with that thought in mind he waltzed through the living room and took a comfortable seat and magic'ed up some cappuccino and croissant. There was no way he could he could do this on an empty stomach.

Clary nudged Luke and then stood to join Magnus in the living room; Luke followed along and collapsed on the nearest seat still nursing his coffee. She promptly rejected the proffered croissant and cleared her throat. A far more subtle prompt than she felt like at the time to get the men talking, she'd waited long enough and paid dearly for this conversation.

Luke and Magnus locked eyes and silently debated who should begin, ultimately Luke shifted his gaze toward the impossibly small girl across from him and began with the hardest part of the conversation in his opinion, just to go ahead and get it out of the way. He cleared his throat, took a sip of his coffee and launched into the devastating tale.

"Clary, this is going to be difficult to believe; even with everything that you've seen and experienced in the last few days. I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I couldn't go against your mother's wishes. Her instincts told her that shielding you from this was the only way to protect you, so you have to remember that, although you were lied to, it was done out of love for you and fear of anything ever happening to you."

Clary leaned slightly forward and began to rebut Luke's statement almost immediately, but Luke held up a hand with a far more serious face than she had ever seen on him before. So she bit her lip, and resigned herself to staying quiet, at least for now.

"You don't live in the world you think you do, there is so much more to it than you've realized. You and your mother are not entirely human." At this Clary let out a gasp and her mouth opened without her consent, the shock of the news was too much. As Luke waited for her to regain some composure, she shifted through every emotion in the spectrum, but the most prominent was easily readable on her face; betrayal, raw and potent.

"I know how angry you are right now, at least in some ways, and I know that I can't change that you are going to be angry for a long time about all of this. I just hope your remember that you weren't deceived to harm you, it wasn't a malicious choice and it was definitely not an easy choice. I don't agree with some of the things your mother did to keep you safe, but once you understand the whole picture you might change your mind about a lot of things. You may even agree with the choices she made, so please Clary, please hear me out before you decide anything about your mother's or our characters. Okay?"

Numbly, Clary surveyed the men and although she wanted to scream at them and hit something or someone desperately she gave a small nod to indicate they should continue. What else could she do? Luke was her dad in every way that mattered, and Magnus had become a brother to her; sharing secrets and inside jokes with one another. The sting of betrayal was still burning in her heart and burning her eyes, but she needed to hear everything either way.

Hesitantly, Luke began explaining the reason they would not be considered human, not by mundane standards. "Demons are real Clary, I know that your mom would never allow you to even speak about such things, and she said it was because they were a ridiculous advent just to scare children. The truth is, she just couldn't bear for you to talk about anything that was too close to the truth of who and what you are."

"Am I a demon Luke, is that what you are telling me?!" She shouted frightened beyond measure, and confused beyond belief. She didn't feel evil, but who knows anymore, she did stand there and do nothing while her mother was slaughtered right before her eyes.

"No, no Clary! How could you think such a thing?! You are one of the kindest souls to ever walk this earth! I'm sorry, I am screwing up this explanation so badly, I never thought I would be the one to explain everything to you. I had always hoped both of us would sit you down." He trailed off there, his remorse and grief getting the better of him for a moment.

Clearing his throat again, and willing his eyes to dry, he tried again to explain the truth of this new world to her. "Clary, there are demons; but no, you are not a demon. You are something else, something that is the polar opposite. Deep breath, and then on a rush of air he said it, "You're part Angel Clary."


	7. Chapter 6

**I am so sorry for the weird post, I don't know what FF did to my document. It looked fine when I posted in my document manager, I always look at it again before posting it, but maybe that's what messed it up.**

 **Thank you _nadiacriscioni _for pointing out the issue! **

**I have taken a long time to post, and apologize to those who have been waiting for the next update. Life has gotten hectic for me, but more than that, if I'm being honest, I was disappointed by the lack of interest. I have more chapters already written and edited waiting to post, and I will start getting back to a more normal posting schedule. Mostly because of the encouragement from _Aubreylovesgames_ , thank you for being so encouraging and for always leaving a review.**

 **For those reading, I hope you enjoy the update and please leave a review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments or anything associated with them. I just love Cassie's characters.**

Chapter 6:

She looked at Luke aghast, then switched to stare at Magnus hoping he would say, 'got ya' and clear up this ridiculous mess. When Magnus simply nodded his head with a serious face and regret in his eyes she knew it was true, absurd but true.

Magnus decided to jump in here, after all there was something very important that Luke did not know about Clary's particular Angel blood, and Luke seemed to be loath to continue for fear of putting Clary back in shock.

"Biscuit, it's true. I know it sounds insane, but we do live in an insane world. You my little biscuit are called a shadowhunter, you belong to a race of shadowhunters who all have Angel blood. There are not nearly as many of them as there are humans, but they exist and they walk among us every day. There are so many different races besides the boring every day humans, who by the way are called mundanes in our world." He gave her a smile, warm and jovial, hoping the little humor would help ease some of the tension in the room. He didn't really want Luke to wolf out on his expensive leather couch.

Giving her a moment to digest it all, he could see all of the questions floating around behind her eyes. He had to allow her a moment to collect herself, knowing that today was a day that called for extreme patience.

With sweaty palms and a dry mouth, Clary managed to choke out the most relevant and urgent question in her mind at the moment. "What other species are there, exactly?"

"Well there are quite a few, but the most common ones are; Mundanes, Warlocks, Vampires, Werewolves, Fae, Demons, and of course Shadowhunters." Magnus saw Luke flinch at the mention of werewolves, and again at the mention of demons, but it couldn't be helped. He and Luke had agreed last night while Clary slept that they would tell her the whole truth, and answer any questions she had honestly. It was the only way they could hope to move forward from this disastrous event and have any relationship at all with Clary.

After giving all of them a moment to collect themselves and let the revelation sink in for Clary, Magnus knew it was time to drop the bomb on them of what Jocelyn had shared with so many years ago. "Clary, you know that I've known you for almost your entire life and you mother for longer, at least by association."

"When your mother first brought you to me, it was because you had already developed the sight; that's what we call the ability to see the shadow world. She was alarmed that you developed at such an early age, you were barely a toddler at the time, and you could see through some of the most powerful glamours, even then. A glamour is powerful magic designed to keep mundanes, and some supernaturals, blind to what is going on around them. They are meant to confuse and misdirect the viewer, but you seemed unnaturally able to see right through them. Your mother knew this made you special, even when compared to the Angel's children, the shadowhunters."

By now, Luke was partly glaring at Magnus; already aware that there was something Magnus and Jocelyn had been keeping from him for what had to be a very long time. The scrutiny of someone he considered a friend made him uncomfortable, but he knew that in the end Luke would understand. He had to understand given how many of Jocelyn's secrets he himself had kept.

"The reasons behind your early development and advanced sight were not apparent to me, and Jocelyn was hesitant to reveal much initially. She wanted me to remove your sight permanently so that you both could live in the mundane world, in the hopes of keeping you safe and to keep you from a life of violence and fighting daily at the risk of your own life."

Clary seemed to be frozen as Magnus continued his explanation and Magnus grew concerned that she might be in shock again, so he waited a moment until she finally blinked and urged him to continue. He supposed it was just a different kind of shock that was keeping her so still and silent.

"I explained to your mother that it was not possible to remove the sight, that it could cause permanent brain damage or even kill you. In her desperation she begged me to find a way to block your ability. She didn't want you to see the shadow world, because when you see it, it sees you. I created a spell that would make you forget everything about the shadow world even as you were seeing it, and was hesitant to use it because there was the very real possibility that if you should ever decide to become part of the shadow world, there would be no way to retrieve the memories that were blocked."

She seemed to come out of her shocked state as the truth of how she had never noticed demons before was revealed, there was a bitter and angry light in her eyes and her mouth was set in a grimace that looked like it could be permanent. He hated that he was destroying her trust in him, and knew that it would take a long time to earn it back, but what could he have done differently. He thought that he was actually helping her when he was able to watch her grow and change in such an unburdened way. She was always so light and joyful, and it was his pleasure to be able to be a part of that. Now he could only pray that she would learn to forgive him.

"For my part in all of this Clary, I can only ask your forgiveness and offer you any help you need to adjust to your new normal life. I wish that was the extent of the secrets I was made privy to, but unfortunately wishes are so rarely granted and in this case it would be a futile exercise."

"Your ability to see should have been inhibited by the spell for years, but as you recall I was frequently a guest at your home for your 'treatments'. Those treatments were actually me casting the same spell on you again, and the older you got the more frequently the spell began wearing off. I couldn't understand why such a powerful spell was so much less effective than expected until finally Jocelyn explained it to me. You are not any ordinary shadowhunter; you have extra Angel blood which will make you more powerful than the average shadowhunter. Even after she told me the truth, she wouldn't tell me how such a thing was possible."

Luke recoiled on the sofa so violently that the back bumped into the wall with an impressive thud. Magnus scowled at Luke and surveyed the damage to both the couch and wall, but Luke's angry tirade was apparently not going to be limited to violence against Magnus' furniture.

"Magnus, what the hell! How could you keep something like that from me all of these years, do you know how much more dangerous that is for Clary?!"

"Hey, don't blame me! I'm not the only one who kept secrets for Jocelyn! You know that it was nearly impossible to gain her trust, and if I had uttered one word of what she told me, she never would have let me see Clary again. God knows what could have happened to her then."

Both men were shaking in their anger and stunned condition, each feeling betrayed by the other for different reasons. Ironically it was Clary who brought them back to the subject at hand and reminded them that it wasn't about them right now.

"Excuse me, can you two act your ages for a moment and remember that this really isn't the time for your squabble about who was told what, and when. I'm sitting here learning that my whole life was a lie and that everyone I love and trusted has been lying to me daily and you don't see me throwing a tantrum!"

It was funny how immediately both men were shamed into apologizing; well it would have been funny to her if everything wasn't so overwhelming right now. After they had calmed down relatively, Magnus continued his explanation of what Clary actually is how strange to have a warlock explain what you are like some kind of science project.

"Recently Jocelyn shared the whole story of how you came to have more Angel blood then the average shadowhunter. I thought it was strange at the time that she suddenly wanted to share a secret that she had been keeping for almost fifteen years, looking back I suppose she suspected that Valentine was closing in and she needed to tell someone just in case she could no longer tell you herself." Magnus frowned at the idea that Jocelyn felt her end was near, and didn't ask him for help. He knew how independent Jocelyn was, but to risk Clary in that way was unthinkable.

"Jocelyn had become unhappy in her marriage, long before she finally left, and her husband knew that he was losing her. His solution was to lace her food and drink with Angel blood. I don't know how he got his hands on Angel blood, and Jocelyn didn't either, but she found out he had been using it on one of their friends while she was pregnant so she knew he had access somehow. After your astonishing development she made the connection of how it occurred. She told me that she remembered suddenly being very happy and in-love for no explicable reason. Apparently Angel blood creates a sense of love and happiness in those who ingest it. Which Jocelyn knew from a journal her husband had been keeping on his 'experiments'. It went on for several months before she finally left." Magnus heaved a heavy sigh, grateful for finally being able to confess this secret, but saddened by the reason he was able to and why it had to be him to explain.

When Magnus finished speaking everyone sat in a thick silence letting the revelation sink in that not only was Clary not human, but she was also not an ordinary shadowhunter. It was a lot to accept for her, and she didn't know how much more she could take, but she knew that she needed to hear the whole truth about who she really was.

Luke had a worried frown seemingly permanently etched into his face as he gazed from Magnus to Clary. Keeping her safe was going to be a challenge before this revelation, now he knew that Valentine could never find out about her existence or he would stop at nothing to either control her or destroy her. With Valentine either could happen and it wouldn't take much for him to decide to kill his own daughter. He had after all, killed his wife in an act of vengeance.


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: I'm hoping to upload every other week on Monday's from now on. I am planning to post every Monday for the next little while to 'catch-up' with where I should be by now in posted chapters.**

 **Thank you all for the patience with my recent break, it was necessary for family reasons; although I knew that there was a medical intervention planned, I didn't fully realize the length of nor the full intensity of the impact.**

 **It may take me a few weeks to get back into the normal routine, but I don't think there will be any further implications for posting.**

 **Again, thank you for your patience and I hope that everyone enjoys the chapter.**

 **Disclosure: I do not own anything associated with The Mortal Instruments, I just can't let go of Cassie's wonderful characters. :)**

Chapter 7:

Luke knew there was no way to sugar coat the next part of this conversation and he dreaded having to tell Clary the truth of her parentage. It wasn't something he had ever wanted to share with her, but he knew he had to, she needed to know about the threat her father posed. She also needed to know the things he had already proven capable of doing to those he would call family. It sickened him and he knew Clary would feel the same, he just hoped she knew that none of that changed who she really was, his daughter and a light in this world of darkness.

"Clary there is so much more to tell you, and unfortunately it only gets more unbelievable and more horrid as we delve deeper, but I know you are strong enough to handle it. You are after all Jocelyn's daughter." He met her eyes and willed her to understand that she was his daughter to, no matter what this next secret may say, she would always be his and he would never abandon that belief.

"As you know from Magnus' secret your biological father was not a good man, he had been at one time. When we were younger he was a truly good person, or he at least appeared to be. He was the best shadow hunter of his age, he excelled in every subject in school with ease, and he was the uncontested best fighter in every form of combat. A leader in every sense of the word, but unlike most who are gifted with all of these attributes he didn't shun or ridicule those who would have been seen as lesser. He invited them in to his group of friends and offered any help he could to allow them to excel. Everyone was swept up in his charisma, even your mother and I." He couldn't help the bitter smile and sorrowful eyes that always seemed to appear when talking about this part of his past. He never stopped wishing that things could have been different; regret is the sharpest of emotions that always seems to bleed into your very soul.

"Wait, if you really did grow up with my mom then are you human or are you like us?" Clary couldn't help the interruption, she always said what she thought and she didn't see how it was possible for him to grow up with her mom and know all of this and still be human if her mom wasn't.

"I'm not human Clary, but you're kind of getting ahead of the story here." Luke smiled at her and tried to encourage her patience by giving her the quick answer he knew she needed at the moment. He could see that it helped her to feel a little less isolated, knowing that he wasn't human. Although he didn't know how glad she would be once she found out that he was no longer a shadowhunter, but was in fact a werewolf.

"We were honestly best friends from birth, and we had always been an odd pair. Your mother comes from a long line of very powerful shadowhunters; they were all exceptionally fair minded people and leaders amongst our kind. It was quite the reputation to live up to. Then there was me, I came from a largely invisible family of shadowhunters, except for when my dad abandoned us, then we became the talk of the town. So as you can imagine we were not from the same types of families or backgrounds. I did fairly well in school, but struggled with some parts of the combat training in our final years at school." Taking a deep breath Luke steeled himself for the rest of his tale, the hardest part in some ways.

"Then Valentine Morgenstern came along, he changed everything, and for a while it seemed he changed things for the better. He helped me train, and soon I was good enough to hold my own against him, not beat him but at least hold him off. We developed a friendship that I thought ran soul deep. Your mother and I spent a lot of time with him, and they started spending time together alone. It wasn't long before they developed a relationship that led to them exchanging family rings. In shadowhunter culture that is basically an engagement. I was happy for them, Jocelyn deserved someone who could be her equal intellectually and protect her if necessary. Valentine seemed to be all of those things."

"He and I became so close that he actually asked me to be his parabatai, I was so honored by his request that I agreed immediately. A parabatai is your fighting partner, you are joined by your very soul in the ceremony and you are intended to be linked to each other for life. You cannot be separated from them, and if they die a part of your soul dies with them. We held our ceremony before graduation, and shortly after graduation your mother and Valentine had another ceremony of their own, a wedding." Luke paused at Clary's gasp, he knew Jocelyn had given her a fake name for her father years ago when she wouldn't stop asking questions about him. He also knew that Clary was quickly assimilating the facts disclosed by Magnus and himself.

"I'm sorry Clary, I know that you were misled about your father; but your mother had very good reasons for not wanting to share her history with him. It wasn't a happy history. Shortly after they married your mother became pregnant." He saw Clary's hand fly to her chest and her mouth dropped open. He knew she thought he was talking about her, but unfortunately it was going to be another devastating revelation about the family she never knew she had.

"She wasn't pregnant with you Clary, not yet. It was your older brother, Jonathan." He waited for her to process that information, she had to be getting close to the limit of her ability to cope and he was worried about the toll all of this was taking on her.

She couldn't breathe, the anger she had been suppressing throughout this whole 'history lesson', learning that everyone in her life had betrayed her trust on such a level couldn't compare with what she was feeling now. The emotions tumbling through her seemed to be crashing through her mind and she felt like she was drowning in them. "I-I have a brother? How-How could no one tell me that I have a brother, Luke how could you not tell me?!"

She looked like she was coming apart, like she was going to literally break apart, and all Luke could think was that he wanted to try to hold her together. He knew though, that she wouldn't want him near her right now, but he couldn't help the way he lurched forward instinctually. He guessed it was every parent's instinct to hold your child when they were hurting. "Clary you'll never know how sorry I am that I didn't tell you immediately, that I couldn't tell you. I couldn't lose you and your mother! I had already lost you once before, and I know without a doubt that if I had tried to tell you all of this before now you would have been taken away from me. Possibly to another country, where I would never find you again." He could hear the waver in his voice in the last part of his speech and knew she could too. He barely was able to speak past the lump that had formed in his throat, and the panic in his chest that was making it hard to breath. Even the thought of Clary being taken away was too much to bear, he had failed Jocelyn he couldn't fail Clary.

Clary was so confused right now, she was still so angry with him, but she also felt remorse for lashing out at Luke. She knew how her mother was; at times she was as immovable as a mountain and as fierce as a raging lioness. If her mother said she would leave and never let Luke see them again, she would have meant it, and if tested she would have done exactly what she said. She was feeling so lost right now, and one look at Luke and she could tell he was feeling the same. It wasn't his fault, she had to remind herself of that over and over.

Luke watched Clary abruptly stand up, and his heart stuttered at the thought that she was about to run. He couldn't really blame her. They had dumped a lot of strange information on a young girl who had grown up a mundane and just lost her mother. He was truly stunned when she rounded the coffee table and hugged him with tears running down her cheeks. It was the second time in twenty-four hours that he had witnessed his little girl breaking under the emotional strain forced on her at such a young age. It made him angry that he couldn't seem to shield her from anything right now, but grateful that she trusted him enough still to seek comfort in him.


End file.
